Eric Zimmerman recently posted about updates to the amcache in Windows 10.  There are numerous additions to the new amcache format, including information about application shortcuts, device containers, and more.  This post is focused on the new information concerning storage devices tracked in the amcache, specifically in the Root\InventoryDevicePnp key.

Some of the useful bits of data that can be found through analysis of the amcache include device serial numbers, descriptions (e.g. FriendlyName-like values), volume names, VID/PID data, and more.  When a USB storage device is connected to a system, multiple subkeys in the amcache are created under Root\InventoryDevicePnp.  The following four keys have been observed to be associated with a device connection:

1. swd/wpdbusenum/_??_usbstor#disk&ven_{manufacturer}&prod_{model}&rev_{rev}#{S/N or UID}#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b} (WPD class subkey)
2. usbstor/disk&ven_{manufacturer}&prod_{model}&rev_{rev}/{S/N or UID} (diskdrive class subkey)
3. storage/volume/_??_usbstor#disk&ven_{manufacturer}&prod_{model}&rev_{rev}#{S/N or UID}#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b} (volume class subkey)
4.  usb/vid_{VID}&pid_{PID}/{S/N or UID} (USB class subkey)

Each of these four subkeys is created under Root\InventoryDevicePnp and will hold information about a connected device, with some information duplicated across two or more of the subkeys.  The Container ID of the device is present in each of the subkeys and can be used to easily link the information from each subkey.  The Container ID is helpful in tracking a device across other artifacts on a system as well since it is present in the USBSTOR subkey, the DeviceContainers subkey, and more.  Of the four subkeys listed above, the WPD class and diskdrive class subkey appear to contain the most useful information for identifying and profiling a USB device.

WPD Class Subkey

The WPD class subkey contains information such as the manufacturer, model/description, and the volume name/label of the device. Interestingly, I’ve seen instances in my testing where the volume name of a device is populated in the WPD class subkey when it is not available in other locations that it often exists (e.g. Windows Portable Devices key in the SOFTWARE hive).  This alone makes the WPD class subkey worth checking in order to help build a more complete profile of a USB device.

WPD Class Subkey

Diskdrive Class Subkey

The diskdrive class subkey contains information such as a description of the device (e.g. TOSHIBA External 3.0 USB Device) and the device serial number. The device serial number, along with VID/PID data, can be obtained from the ParentId value as well as the name of the subkey itself.  An example of a diskdrive class subkey name is: “usbstor/disk&ven_kingston&prod_dt_101_g2&rev_1.00/001372995dddcb6185180cdb&0”.

diskdrive Class Subkey

In my testing, the LastWrite time of all four class subkeys in the InventoryDevicePnp key is the same and is updated when a device is first connected, but it also appears to be updated through events outside of device connection/disconnection.  As such, the LastWrite time of these subkeys does not appear to be a reliable indicator of a connection or disconnection event.  I’ve also found that the subkeys related to some USB devices are quickly rolled out of the InventoryDevicePnp key.  In some instances, the most recently connected USB device was deleted after a system restart.  In other cases, the subkeys remained in the InventoryDevicePnp for some time.

The amcache doesn’t store the depth of USB device information found in the SYSTEM hive or other well-known locations, but it provides an additional data point that helps to corroborate and/or supplement data harvested from other areas.  For example, the Description value of the WPD class subkey can be used to gather the volume name/label of a device that was discovered through analysis of the SYSTEM hive by using the device serial or Container ID to correlate the two data points.  This method of analysis – using multiple data points across a system – will help to build a more complete profile of connected devices as well as increase your overall confidence in your findings.